U.S. patent application number 15/153146 was filed with the patent office on 2017-11-16 for indicating an application status based on a device state.
The applicant listed for this patent is LENOVO Enterprise Solutions (Singapore) PTE. LTD.. Invention is credited to CALEB D. CUDAK, GARY D. CUDAK, GAVIN D. CUDAK, NATHAN J. PETERSON.
Application Number | 20170329690 15/153146 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 60295328 |
Filed Date | 2017-11-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170329690 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
CUDAK; GARY D. ; et
al. |
November 16, 2017 |
INDICATING AN APPLICATION STATUS BASED ON A DEVICE STATE
Abstract
Apparatuses, systems, methods, and program products are
disclosed for indicating an application status based on a device
state. An application module determines one or more device
resources of a device that an application uses while executing on
the device. A device module determines a performance state of each
of one or more device resources of a device. An indicator module
provides a visual indication of a potential execution level of an
application on a display of a device. The potential execution level
describes a projected level of functionality of an application as a
function of a performance state of one or more device resources of
the device.
Inventors: |
CUDAK; GARY D.; (Wake
Forest, NC) ; PETERSON; NATHAN J.; (Durham, NC)
; CUDAK; GAVIN D.; (Wake Forest, NC) ; CUDAK;
CALEB D.; (Wake Forest, NC) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
LENOVO Enterprise Solutions (Singapore) PTE. LTD. |
New Tech Park |
|
SG |
|
|
Family ID: |
60295328 |
Appl. No.: |
15/153146 |
Filed: |
May 12, 2016 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 11/3452 20130101;
G06F 11/328 20130101; G06F 9/5011 20130101; G06F 11/34 20130101;
G06F 11/302 20130101; G06F 11/3409 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06F 11/34 20060101
G06F011/34; G06F 11/30 20060101 G06F011/30; G06F 9/50 20060101
G06F009/50 |
Claims
1. An apparatus comprising: an application module that determines
one or more device resources of a device that an application uses
while executing on the device; a device module that determines a
performance state of each of the one or more device resources of
the device; and an indicator module that provides a visual
indication of a potential execution level of the application on a
display of the device, the potential execution level describing a
projected level of functionality of the application as a function
of the performance state of the one or more device resources of the
device.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the device module further
determines one or more performance metrics for each of the one or
more device resources of the device, a performance metric
describing a current utilization of a device resource on the
device; and the application module further determines one or more
application execution metrics for each of the device resources used
by the application, an application execution metric describing a
utilization of a device resource by the application while the
application executes on the device.
3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the indicator module further
comprises an execution module that determines the potential
execution level of the application by comparing the one or more
performance metrics for each of the one or more device resources of
the device to the one or more application execution metrics of the
application to determine whether a device resource of the device is
available for use by the application.
4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the execution module
determines the potential execution level of the application prior
to the application being executed on the device.
5. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising an update module
that periodically determines whether the potential execution level
of the application has changed by: determining one or more new
performance metrics for each of the one or more device resources of
the device; determining one or more new application execution
metrics for each of the device resources of the device used by the
application; and comparing the one or more new performance metrics
for each of the one or more device resources of the device to the
one or more application execution metrics of the application to
determine whether the potential execution level is different from a
previously determined potential execution level, wherein, the
indicator module updates the visual indication of the potential
execution level in response to the potential execution level being
different.
6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the application module
determines the one or more application execution metrics by
monitoring and tracking, for a period of time, one or more
application execution metrics for a currently executing instance of
the application on the device.
7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the application module
determines the one or more application execution metrics by
checking a file comprising the one or more application execution
metrics, the file comprising a manifest file associated with the
application, the manifest file created by one or more of an owner
and a developer of the application.
8. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the application module
determines the one or more application execution metrics by
checking an execution history of the application, the execution
history comprising one or more application execution metrics from
previously executed instances of the application.
9. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the one or more application
execution metrics of the application comprise one or more of: a
battery consumption rate; a network utilization; a processor
utilization; a memory utilization; and a storage utilization.
10. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the one or more performance
metrics of the device comprise one or more of: a battery level; a
network utilization; a processor utilization; a memory utilization;
and a storage utilization.
11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the indicator module selects
a plurality of visual indications for the application that
correspond to a level of availability of each of the device
resources of the device used by the application, wherein each of
the plurality of visual indications are displayed simultaneously on
the display of the device.
12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein providing the visual
indication comprises one or more of: hiding a graphical icon
representing the application in response to the potential execution
level satisfying a low-functionality threshold; presenting a
graphical icon representing the application that is not selectable
in response to the potential execution level satisfying the
low-functionality threshold; setting a color of a border of a
graphical icon representing the application as a function of the
potential execution level of the application; setting a
transparency level of a graphical icon representing the application
based on the potential execution level of the application;
presenting a tooltip associated with a graphical icon representing
the application, the tooltip comprising information describing the
potential execution level of the application.
13. A method comprising: determining, by use of a processor, one or
more device resources of a device that an application uses while
executing on the device; determining a performance state of each of
the one or more device resources of the device; and providing a
visual indication of a potential execution level of the application
on a display of the device, the potential execution level
describing a projected level of functionality of the application as
a function of the performance state of the one or more device
resources of the device.
14. The method of claim 13, further comprising: determining one or
more performance metrics for each of the one or more device
resources of the device, a performance metric describing a current
utilization of a device resource on the device; and determining one
or more application execution metrics for each of the device
resources of the device used by the application, an application
execution metric describing a utilization of a device resource by
the application while the application executes on the device.
15. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining the
potential execution level of the application by comparing the one
or more performance metrics for each of the one or more device
resources of the device to the one or more application execution
metrics of the application to determine whether a device resource
of the device is available for use by the application.
16. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining the one
or more application execution metrics by monitoring and tracking,
for a period of time, one or more application execution metrics for
a currently executing instance of the application on the
device.
17. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining the one
or more application execution metrics by checking a file comprising
the one or more application execution metrics, the file comprising
a manifest file associated with the application, the manifest file
created by one or more of an owner and a developer of the
application.
18. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining the one
or more application execution metrics by checking an execution
history of the application, the execution history comprising one or
more application execution metrics from previously executed
instances of the application.
19. The method of claim 13, wherein providing the visual indication
comprises one or more of: hiding a graphical icon representing the
application in response to the potential execution level satisfying
a low-functionality threshold; presenting a graphical icon
representing the application that is not selectable in response to
the potential execution level satisfying the low-functionality
threshold; setting a color of a border of a graphical icon
representing the application as a function of the potential
execution level of the application; setting a transparency of a
graphical icon representing the application, a level of the
transparency being selected as a function of the potential
execution level of the application; presenting a tooltip associated
with a graphical icon representing the application, the tooltip
comprising information describing the potential execution level of
the application.
20. A program product comprising a computer readable storage medium
that stores code executable by a processor, the executable code
comprising code to perform: determining one or more device
resources of a device that an application uses while executing on a
device; determining a performance state of each of the one or more
device resources of the device; and providing a visual indication
of a potential execution level of the application on a display of
the device, the potential execution level describing a projected
level of functionality of the application as a function of the
performance state of the one or more device resources of the
device.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The subject matter disclosed herein relates to using
application functionality on a device, and more particularly
relates to visually indicating a potential execution level of an
application on a device.
BACKGROUND
[0002] A state of a device can vary. For instance, a network may be
unavailable due to a device being out of range of a wireless access
point. Similarly, a network connection may be limited due to the
network hardware being used and the type of network a device is
connected to. Performance levels may also fluctuate throughout
device usage, for example, due to background processes or other
activities. Often, a user is not aware of the state of the device,
and whether it will affect the performance or functionality of an
application, until after the user attempts to execute the
application.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0003] An apparatus for indicating an application status based on a
device state is disclosed. A method and computer program product
also perform the functions of the apparatus. In one embodiment, an
application module determines one or more device resources that an
application uses while executing on a device. In some embodiments,
a device module determines a performance state of each of one or
more device resources of a device. In a further embodiment, an
indicator module provides a visual indication of a potential
execution level of an application on a display of a device. A
potential execution level may describe a projected level of
functionality of an application as a function of a performance
state of one or more device resources.
[0004] In one embodiment, a device module determines one or more
performance metrics for each of one or more device resources of a
device. A performance metric may describe a current utilization of
a device resource on a device. In some embodiments, an application
module determines one or more application execution metrics for
each device resource used by an application. An application
execution metric may describe a utilization of a device resource by
an application while the application executes on a device.
[0005] In one embodiment, an apparatus includes an execution module
that determines a potential execution level of an application by
comparing one or more performance metrics for each of one or more
device resources of a device to one or more application execution
metrics of the application to determine whether a device resource
is available for use by the application. In certain embodiments, an
execution module determines a potential execution level of an
application prior to the application being executed on a
device.
[0006] In one embodiment, an apparatus includes an update module
that periodically determines whether a potential execution level of
an application has changed. In some embodiments, an update module
determines one or more new performance metrics for each of one or
more device resources of a device. An update module, in a further
embodiment, determines one or more new application execution
metrics for each device resource used by an application. An update
module, in one embodiment, compares one or more new performance
metrics for each of one or more device resources to one or more
application execution metrics of an application to determine
whether a potential execution level is different from a previously
determined potential execution level.
[0007] In certain embodiment, an application module determines one
or more application execution metrics by monitoring and tracking,
for a period of time, one or more application execution metrics for
a currently executing instance of an application on a device. In
certain embodiments, an application module determines one or more
application execution metrics by checking a file that includes the
one or more application execution metrics. A file may be one of a
manifest file associated with an application that is created by an
owner or a developer of an application.
[0008] In some embodiments, an application module determines one or
more application execution metrics by checking an execution history
of an application. An execution history may include one or more
application execution metrics from previously executed instances of
an application. In some embodiments, one or more application
execution metrics of an application include one or more of a
battery consumption rate, a network utilization, a processor
utilization, a memory utilization, and a storage utilization.
[0009] In one embodiment, one or more performance metrics of a
device include one or more of a battery level, a network
utilization, a processor utilization, a memory utilization, and a
storage utilization. In some embodiments, an indicator module
selects a plurality of visual indications for an application that
correspond to a level of availability of each device resource used
by the application such that each of the plurality of visual
indications are displayed simultaneously on a display of a
device.
[0010] In one embodiment, providing a visual indication comprises
one or more of hiding a graphical icon representing an application
in response to a potential execution level satisfying a
low-functionality threshold; presenting a graphical icon
representing the application that is not selectable in response to
the potential execution level satisfying the low-functionality
threshold; setting a color of a border of a graphical icon
representing the application as a function of the potential
execution level of the application; setting a transparency level of
a graphical icon representing the application based on the
potential execution level of the application; and presenting a
tooltip associated with a graphical icon representing the
application that includes information describing the potential
execution level of the application.
[0011] A method, in one embodiment, includes determining, by use of
a processor, one or more device resources that an application uses
while executing on a device. A method, in some embodiments,
includes determining a performance state of each of one or more
device resources of a device. In some embodiments, a method
includes providing a visual indication of a potential execution
level of an application on a display of a device. The potential
execution level may describe a projected level of functionality of
an application as a function of a performance state of one or more
device resources.
[0012] A method, in certain embodiments, includes determining one
or more performance metrics for each of one or more device
resources of a device. A performance metric may describe a current
utilization of a device resource on a device. In some embodiments,
a method includes determining one or more application execution
metrics for each device resource used by an application. An
application execution metric may describe a utilization of a device
resource by an application while the application executes on a
device.
[0013] In certain embodiments, a method includes determining a
potential execution level of an application by comparing one or
more performance metrics for each device resource of a device to
one or more application execution metrics of an application to
determine whether a device resource is available for use by the
application. In one embodiment, a method includes determining one
or more application execution metrics by monitoring and tracking,
for a period of time, one or more application execution metrics for
a currently executing instance of an application on a device.
[0014] A method, in one embodiment, includes determining one or
more application execution metrics by checking a file that includes
the one or more application execution metrics. A file may include a
manifest file associated with an application that is created by one
or more of an owner and a developer of the application. A method,
in some embodiments, includes determining one or more application
execution metrics by checking an execution history of an
application. An execution history may include one or more
application execution metrics from previously executed instances of
an application.
[0015] In one embodiment, providing a visual indication comprises
one or more of hiding a graphical icon representing an application
in response to a potential execution level satisfying a
low-functionality threshold; presenting a graphical icon
representing the application that is not selectable in response to
the potential execution level satisfying the low-functionality
threshold; setting a color of a border of a graphical icon
representing the application as a function of the potential
execution level of the application; setting a transparency level of
a graphical icon representing the application based on the
potential execution level of the application; and presenting a
tooltip associated with a graphical icon representing the
application that includes information describing the potential
execution level of the application.
[0016] A program product, in one embodiment, includes a computer
readable storage medium that stores code executable by a processor.
The executable code, in one embodiment, includes code to perform
determining, by use of a processor, one or more device resources
that an application uses while executing on a device. The
executable code, in various embodiments, includes code to perform
determining a performance state of each of one or more device
resources of a device. The executable code, in a further
embodiment, includes code to perform providing a visual indication
of a potential execution level of an application on a display of a
device. The potential execution level may describe a projected
level of functionality of an application as a function of a
performance state of one or more device resources.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] A more particular description of the embodiments briefly
described above will be rendered by reference to specific
embodiments that are illustrated in the appended drawings.
Understanding that these drawings depict only some embodiments and
are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of scope, the
embodiments will be described and explained with additional
specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying
drawings, in which:
[0018] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating one
embodiment of a system for indicating an application status based
on a device state;
[0019] FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram illustrating one
embodiment of an apparatus for indicating an application status
based on a device state;
[0020] FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram illustrating one
embodiment of another apparatus for indicating an application
status based on a device state;
[0021] FIG. 4 depicts an embodiment of a device for indicating an
application status based on a device state;
[0022] FIG. 5 is a schematic flow chart diagram illustrating one
embodiment of a method for indicating an application status based
on a device state; and
[0023] FIG. 6 is a schematic flow chart diagram illustrating one
embodiment of another method for indicating an application status
based on a device state.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0024] As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of
the embodiments may be embodied as a system, method or program
product. Accordingly, embodiments may take the form of an entirely
hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including
firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or an embodiment
combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally be
referred to herein as a "circuit," "module" or "system."
Furthermore, embodiments may take the form of a program product
embodied in one or more computer readable storage devices storing
machine readable code, computer readable code, and/or program code,
referred hereafter as code. The storage devices may be tangible,
non-transitory, and/or non-transmission. The storage devices may
not embody signals. In a certain embodiment, the storage devices
only employ signals for accessing code.
[0025] Many of the functional units described in this specification
have been labeled as modules, in order to more particularly
emphasize their implementation independence. For example, a module
may be implemented as a hardware circuit comprising custom VLSI
circuits or gate arrays, off-the-shelf semiconductors such as logic
chips, transistors, or other discrete components. A module may also
be implemented in programmable hardware devices such as field
programmable gate arrays, programmable array logic, programmable
logic devices or the like.
[0026] Modules may also be implemented in code and/or software for
execution by various types of processors. An identified module of
code may, for instance, comprise one or more physical or logical
blocks of executable code which may, for instance, be organized as
an object, procedure, or function. Nevertheless, the executables of
an identified module need not be physically located together, but
may comprise disparate instructions stored in different locations
which, when joined logically together, comprise the module and
achieve the stated purpose for the module.
[0027] Indeed, a module of code may be a single instruction, or
many instructions, and may even be distributed over several
different code segments, among different programs, and across
several memory devices. Similarly, operational data may be
identified and illustrated herein within modules, and may be
embodied in any suitable form and organized within any suitable
type of data structure. The operational data may be collected as a
single data set, or may be distributed over different locations
including over different computer readable storage devices. Where a
module or portions of a module are implemented in software, the
software portions are stored on one or more computer readable
storage devices.
[0028] Any combination of one or more computer readable medium may
be utilized. The computer readable medium may be a computer
readable storage medium. The computer readable storage medium may
be a storage device storing the code. The storage device may be,
for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical,
electromagnetic, infrared, holographic, micromechanical, or
semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable
combination of the foregoing.
[0029] More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the
storage device would include the following: an electrical
connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette,
a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory
(ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash
memory), a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an
optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable
combination of the foregoing. In the context of this document, a
computer readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that
can contain, or store a program for use by or in connection with an
instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.
[0030] Code for carrying out operations for embodiments may be
written in any combination of one or more programming languages
including an object oriented programming language such as Python,
Ruby, Java, Smalltalk, C++, or the like, and conventional
procedural programming languages, such as the "C" programming
language, or the like, and/or machine languages such as assembly
languages. The code may execute entirely on the user's computer,
partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package,
partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer or
entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario,
the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through
any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide
area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external
computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet
Service Provider).
[0031] Reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment,"
"an embodiment," or similar language means that a particular
feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with
the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus,
appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment," "in an embodiment,"
and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not
necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment, but mean "one or
more but not all embodiments" unless expressly specified otherwise.
The terms "including," "comprising," "having," and variations
thereof mean "including but not limited to," unless expressly
specified otherwise. An enumerated listing of items does not imply
that any or all of the items are mutually exclusive, unless
expressly specified otherwise. The terms "a," "an," and "the" also
refer to "one or more" unless expressly specified otherwise.
[0032] Furthermore, the described features, structures, or
characteristics of the embodiments may be combined in any suitable
manner. In the following description, numerous specific details are
provided, such as examples of programming, software modules, user
selections, network transactions, database queries, database
structures, hardware modules, hardware circuits, hardware chips,
etc., to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments. One
skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that
embodiments may be practiced without one or more of the specific
details, or with other methods, components, materials, and so
forth. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or
operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring
aspects of an embodiment.
[0033] Aspects of the embodiments are described below with
reference to schematic flowchart diagrams and/or schematic block
diagrams of methods, apparatuses, systems, and program products
according to embodiments. It will be understood that each block of
the schematic flowchart diagrams and/or schematic block diagrams,
and combinations of blocks in the schematic flowchart diagrams
and/or schematic block diagrams, can be implemented by code. These
code may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer,
special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing
apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which
execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable
data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the
functions/acts specified in the schematic flowchart diagrams and/or
schematic block diagrams block or blocks.
[0034] The code may also be stored in a storage device that can
direct a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or
other devices to function in a particular manner, such that the
instructions stored in the storage device produce an article of
manufacture including instructions which implement the function/act
specified in the schematic flowchart diagrams and/or schematic
block diagrams block or blocks.
[0035] The code may also be loaded onto a computer, other
programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to cause a
series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other
programmable apparatus or other devices to produce a computer
implemented process such that the code which execute on the
computer or other programmable apparatus provide processes for
implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or
block diagram block or blocks.
[0036] The schematic flowchart diagrams and/or schematic block
diagrams in the Figures illustrate the architecture, functionality,
and operation of possible implementations of apparatuses, systems,
methods and program products according to various embodiments. In
this regard, each block in the schematic flowchart diagrams and/or
schematic block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or
portion of code, which comprises one or more executable
instructions of the code for implementing the specified logical
function(s).
[0037] It should also be noted that, in some alternative
implementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of
the order noted in the Figures. For example, two blocks shown in
succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or
the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order,
depending upon the functionality involved. Other steps and methods
may be conceived that are equivalent in function, logic, or effect
to one or more blocks, or portions thereof, of the illustrated
Figures.
[0038] Although various arrow types and line types may be employed
in the flowchart and/or block diagrams, they are understood not to
limit the scope of the corresponding embodiments. Indeed, some
arrows or other connectors may be used to indicate only the logical
flow of the depicted embodiment. For instance, an arrow may
indicate a waiting or monitoring period of unspecified duration
between enumerated steps of the depicted embodiment. It will also
be noted that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart
diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or
flowchart diagrams, can be implemented by special purpose
hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or
acts, or combinations of special purpose hardware and code.
[0039] The description of elements in each figure may refer to
elements of proceeding figures. Like numbers refer to like elements
in all figures, including alternate embodiments of like
elements.
[0040] FIG. 1 depicts one embodiment of a system 100 for indicating
an application status based on a device state. In one embodiment,
the system 100 includes one or more information handling devices
102, one or more application status apparatuses 104, one or more
data networks 106, and one or more servers 108. In certain
embodiments, even though a specific number of information handling
devices 102, application status apparatuses 104, data networks 106,
and servers 108 are depicted in FIG. 1, one of skill in the art
will recognize, in light of this disclosure, that any number of
information handling devices 102, application status apparatuses
104, data networks 106, and servers 108 may be included in the
system 100.
[0041] In one embodiment, the system 100 includes one or more
information handling devices 102. The information handling devices
102 may include a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet
computer, a smart phone, a set-top box, a gaming console, a smart
TV, a smart watch, a fitness band, an optical head-mounted display
(e.g., a virtual reality headset, smart glasses, or the like), an
HDMI or other electronic display dongle, a personal digital
assistant, or another computing device including a processor (e.g.,
a central processing unit ("CPU"), a processor core, a field
programmable gate array ("FPGA") or other programmable logic, an
application specific integrated circuit ("ASIC"), a controller, a
microcontroller, and/or another semiconductor integrated circuit
device), a volatile memory, and/or a non-volatile storage
medium.
[0042] In certain embodiments, the information handling devices 102
are communicatively coupleable to one another and/or to one or more
servers 108 over a data network 106, described below. The
information handling devices 102, in a further embodiment, are
capable of executing various firmware, programs, program code,
applications, instructions, functions, and/or the like, and may
access, store, download, upload, and/or the like data located on
one or more servers 108. In some embodiments, the information
handling devices 102 are configured to send and receive files from
one or more different information handling devices 102, modify
files, store files locally and/or in remote locations, and/or the
like. The information handling devices 102 may include an
electronic display, such as a touch screen display, and may present
one or more graphical representations (e.g., icons) of
applications, programs, or the like that are executable on an
information handling device.
[0043] In one embodiment, the application status apparatus 104 is
configured to determine one or more device resources that an
application uses while executing on a device 102. The application
status apparatus 104, in some embodiments, is configured to
determine a performance state of each of the one or more device
resources of the device 102. In a further embodiment, the
application status apparatus 104 is configured to provide a visual
indication of a potential execution level of the application on a
display of the device 102. The potential execution level may
describe a projected level of functionality of the application as a
function of the performance state of the one or more device
resources.
[0044] The application status apparatus 104, in one embodiment,
improves the functioning of the computer and/or the computer
technology in general, and improves the usability of the computer
technology, by determining what resources an application needs to
use when it is executed on a device 102, determining a current
state of those resources, and visually indicating to a user whether
the application can function at a full level, a partial level, or
not at all, prior to the application being executed on the device
102. In this manner, a user can quickly determine whether an
application is functional given a current state of the device 102
(e.g., if the device 102 is connected to a network, has a high CPU
utilization, or the like) before the user attempts to execute the
application. This may save the user time and frustration because
the user can avoid running an application and waiting for the
application to load only to discover that the application, or one
or more features of the application, is not functional.
[0045] In various embodiments, the application status apparatus 104
may be embodied as a hardware appliance that can be installed or
deployed on an information handling device 102, on a server 108, or
elsewhere on the data network 106. In certain embodiments, an
application status apparatus 104 may include a hardware device such
as a secure hardware dongle or other hardware appliance device
(e.g., a set-top box, a network appliance, or the like) that
attaches to a device, a laptop computer, a server 108, a tablet
computer, a smart phone, or the like, either by a wired connection
(e.g., a USB connection) or a wireless connection (e.g.,
Bluetooth.RTM., Wi-Fi.RTM., near-field communication ("NFC"), or
the like); that attaches to an electronic display device (e.g., a
television or monitor using an HDMI port, a DisplayPort port, a
Mini DisplayPort port, VGA port, DVI port, or the like); and/or the
like. A hardware appliance of the application status apparatus 104
may include a power interface, a wired and/or wireless network
interface, a graphical interface that attaches to a display, and/or
a semiconductor integrated circuit device as described below,
configured to perform the functions described herein with regard to
the application status apparatus 104.
[0046] The application status apparatus 104, in such an embodiment,
may include a semiconductor integrated circuit device (e.g., one or
more chips, die, or other discrete logic hardware), or the like,
such as a field-programmable gate array ("FPGA") or other
programmable logic, firmware for an FPGA or other programmable
logic, microcode for execution on a microcontroller, an
application-specific integrated circuit ("ASIC"), a processor, a
processor core, or the like. In one embodiment, the application
status apparatus 104 may be mounted on a printed circuit board with
one or more electrical lines or connections (e.g., to volatile
memory, a non-volatile storage medium, a network interface, a
peripheral device, a graphical/display interface, or the like). The
hardware appliance may include one or more pins, pads, or other
electrical connections configured to send and receive data (e.g.,
in communication with one or more electrical lines of a printed
circuit board or the like), and one or more hardware circuits
and/or other electrical circuits configured to perform various
functions of the application status apparatus 104.
[0047] The semiconductor integrated circuit device or other
hardware appliance of the application status apparatus 104, in
certain embodiments, includes and/or is communicatively coupled to
one or more volatile memory media, which may include but is not
limited to: random access memory ("RAM"), dynamic RAM ("DRAM"),
cache, or the like. In one embodiment, the semiconductor integrated
circuit device or other hardware appliance of the application
status apparatus 104 includes and/or is communicatively coupled to
one or more non-volatile memory media, which may include but is not
limited to: NAND flash memory, NOR flash memory, nano random access
memory (nano RAM or "NRAM"), nanocrystal wire-based memory,
silicon-oxide based sub-10 nanometer process memory, graphene
memory, Silicon-Oxide-Nitride-Oxide-Silicon ("SONOS"), resistive
RAM ("RRAM"), programmable metallization cell ("PMC"),
conductive-bridging RAM ("CBRAM"), magneto-resistive RAM ("MRAM"),
dynamic RAM ("DRAM"), phase change RAM ("PRAM" or "PCM"), magnetic
storage media (e.g., hard disk, tape), optical storage media, or
the like.
[0048] While the application status apparatus 104 is shown as part
of each information handling device 102 and server 108 in the
system 100 depicted in FIG. 1, the application status apparatus 104
may be located, installed, or executed on one information handling
device 102 or server 108, on a plurality of information handling
devices 102 and servers 108, or the like. The application status
apparatus 104, in another embodiment, may be installed on a server
108 and distributed to one or more information handling devices 102
such that portions of the application status apparatus 104 are
located, installed, or executed on a plurality of information
handling devices 102 and/or servers 108.
[0049] The data network 106, in one embodiment, includes a digital
communication network that transmits digital communications. The
data network 106 may include a wireless network, such as a wireless
cellular network, a local wireless network, such as a Wi-Fi
network, a Bluetooth.RTM. network, a near-field communication
("NFC") network, an ad hoc network, and/or the like. The data
network 106 may include a wide area network ("WAN"), a storage area
network ("SAN"), a local area network ("LAN"), an optical fiber
network, the internet, or other digital communication network. The
data network 106 may include two or more networks. The data network
106 may include one or more servers, routers, switches, and/or
other networking equipment. The data network 106 may also include
one or more computer readable storage media, such as a hard disk
drive, an optical drive, non-volatile memory, RAM, or the like.
[0050] The one or more servers 108, in one embodiment, may be
embodied as blade servers, mainframe servers, tower servers, rack
servers, and/or the like. The one or more servers 108 may be
configured as a mail server, a web server, an application server,
an FTP server, a media server, a data server, a web server, a file
server, a virtual server, and/or the like. In certain embodiments,
the one or more servers 108 store files such as text documents,
spreadsheets, portable document format ("PDF") files, emails, audio
files, video files, source code, and/or the like, which may be
accessed by the application status apparatus 104. In some
embodiments, the one or more servers 108 may be located on an
organization's premises, in a data center, in the cloud, and/or the
like. The one or more servers 108 may be accessed remotely over a
data network 106 like the Internet, or locally over a data network
106 like an intranet.
[0051] FIG. 2 depicts one embodiment of an apparatus 200 for
indicating an application status based on a device state. The
apparatus 200 may include an embodiment of an application status
apparatus 104. In one embodiment, the application status apparatus
104 includes one or more of an application module 202, a device
module 204, and an indicator module 206, which are described in
more detail below.
[0052] The application module 202, in one embodiment, is configured
to determine one or more device resources that an application uses
while executing on a device 102. As used herein, an application may
be a program, a service, a script, an interface, a web page, and/or
the like that is executable on a device 102. The one or more device
resources that an application uses may include the device's
battery, memory, storage, CPU/processor, network card, graphics
card, sound card, display, camera, sensors (e.g., motion sensors,
proximity sensors, or the like), and/or the like. For example, the
application may be a multiplayer game that uses the device's
battery, memory, storage, processor, network card, graphics card,
sound mixer, and display while it is executing on the device
102.
[0053] In certain embodiments, the application module 202
determines one or more application execution metrics for each of
the device resources used by the application. As used herein, an
application execution metric may describe a utilization of a device
resource by the application while the application executes on the
device 102. In one embodiment, an application execution metric may
include a battery consumption rate, a network utilization, a
processor utilization, a memory utilization, a storage utilization,
and/or the like.
[0054] For instance, the application module 202 may determine that
an application, while executing, consumes X watts of or a
percentage of battery power over a period of time (e.g., per
second, per minute, per hour, etc.), uses X amounts of RAM,
stores/deletes X amounts of data on a storage device (e.g., a hard
disk drive) and/or transfers data to/from the a storage device at a
certain rate, consumes X amounts of processor cycles or uses a
percentage of the processor capacity over a period of time,
utilizes X amounts of network bandwidth, or the like. The
application execution metrics may be exact usage amounts for a
period of time, average usage amounts calculated over a period of
time, low usage amounts (e.g., usage amounts that satisfy a low
usage threshold), high usage amounts (e.g., usage amounts that
satisfy a high usage threshold), and/or the like.
[0055] For example, the application module 202 may determine that a
social networking application consumes an average of 1% of the
battery of the device 102 every 10 minutes, uses an average of 1.3
GB of RAM, uses 2.1 GB of RAM at its highest point, and 0.7 GB of
RAM at its lowest point, stores 1MB of data, and utilizes an
average of 1000 kbps of network bandwidth while executing.
[0056] In one embodiment, the application module 202 determines the
application execution metrics associated with an application by
monitoring and tracking, over a period of time, one or more
application execution metrics for a currently executing instance of
the application on the device 102. For example, the application
module 202 may monitor the application's utilization of the
device's processor, network card, memory, battery, storage, etc.
while the application is executing. The application module 202 may
track the application execution metrics and store them in a file,
database, or other data store to make accessible for future
reference and use.
[0057] The application module 202, in a further embodiment,
determines the application execution metrics associated with an
application by checking a file, database, or other data store that
includes application execution metrics for the application. In one
embodiment, the application module 202 checks a file that the
application module 202 previously created while monitoring and
tracking the application execution metrics for the application.
[0058] In a further embodiment, the application module 202 checks a
manifest file associated with the application. As used herein, a
manifest file may be a file containing metadata, which may be
located in multiple different files, describing the application.
For example, the files of an application may have an associated
manifest file describing the name, version number, and the files
that constitute the program. Likewise, a manifest file for an
application may include various application execution metrics for
the application. The manifest file, for example, may be provided by
the application's developer, designer, owner, distributor, tester,
or the like, and may be based on benchmarking tests, or other types
of tests, to determine various application execution metrics for
the application. The manifest file, in some embodiments, may be an
application manifest that is stored in an XML format, or other
structured format.
[0059] In one embodiment, the application module 202 determines the
application execution metrics associated with an application by
checking an execution history of the application, which may be
stored in a file, a database, and/or other data store. The
execution history, in some embodiments, includes resource usage
data for previously executed instances of the application over a
period of time. The resource usage data may include raw usage data
recorded at predefined intervals. For example, the resource usage
data may include an applications processor utilization recorded
every second. The resource usage data may include averages of the
application's device resource usage over a period of time. The
resource usage data may include outlier data, such as the highest
utilizations for each device resource and the lowest utilizations
for each device resource.
[0060] The execution history may include resource usage data for
every instance of the application that was previously executed,
resource usage data from only the most recent executed instances of
the application (e.g., the previous five instances), resource usage
data from a ransom selection of previously executed instances of
the application, or the like. For example, the application module
202 may record resource usage data in the execution history every
time an application is executed or may randomly select when
resource usage data for an executing application is recorded.
[0061] In one embodiment, the application module 202 determines
which device resources an application uses prior to the application
being executed on the device 102. In one embodiment, the
application module 202 may determine which applications are
installed on the device 102, and/or otherwise executable on the
device 102 (e.g., applications stored in the cloud or in another
remote location and executable on the device 102), and, for each
application, determine which resources the application may use and
what the utilization rates of each resource may be for the
application. The application module 202, for example, may check a
manifest file, an execution history, or the like to determine the
device resources each installed application uses and resource
utilization rates for each application.
[0062] The device module 204, in one embodiment, is configured to
determine a performance state of each of the one or more device
resources of the device 102. A performance state, as used herein,
may describe a current availability, capacity, utilization, or the
like of the device's resources. In some embodiments, the
performance state indicates whether a resource is
available/unavailable, functional/partially
functional/non-functional, active/inactive/partially active, or the
like.
[0063] In some embodiments, the device module 204 determines a
performance state of device resource by determining one or more
performance metrics for the device resource. As used herein, a
performance metric may describe a current utilization of a device
resource on the device 102. For example, a performance metric for a
utilization of a device's processor may be that the processor is at
a 40% utilization rate, meaning that 60% of the processor is
currently available for use, or it may be that a battery is 75%
charged or has 3 hours of charge remaining based on the current
workload of the device 102. Various factors may affect the
utilization of a device's resources, such as processes running in
the background, a type of network the device 102 is connected to,
types of processes executing on the device 102 (e.g., graphics
intensive processes, network intensive processes, or the like),
and/or the like.
[0064] In certain embodiments, the performance metrics of the
device 102 may include a battery level, a network utilization
(e.g., a network bandwidth, latency, or the like), a processor
utilization, a memory utilization, and a storage utilization. The
device module 204 may periodically poll various device resources,
such as a memory controller, a storage controller, a network
interface controller, a power controller, a processor, an operating
system, a firmware, and/or the like, to determine the current
utilizations of the various resources.
[0065] The indicator module 206, in one embodiment, is configured
to provide a visual indication of a potential execution level of an
application on a display of a device 102. As used herein, a
potential execution level of an application may describe a
projected level of functionality of the application on the device
102 based on the performance state of the one or more device
resources. The potential execution level, as described in more
detail below regarding the execution module 302, may be a rating,
flag, value, tag, or other indication that indicates whether the
application is functional, non-functional, partially functional,
(e.g., if the application cannot use the network, but other
features of the application are available), or the like. For
example, the potential execution level may be a value representing
a measure of an application's projected functionality according to
a functionality scale (e.g., a 1-10 scale where 1 is no
functionality and 10 is full functionality).
[0066] The visual indication may be graphical representation of the
application, one or more visual effects associated with the
graphical representation of the application, or the like. In one
example, the graphical representation is an icon used for launching
the application. For example if the application module 202
determines that the application utilizes 35% of the processor while
it is executing, but the device module 204 determines the processor
currently only has 25% of its processing capacity available, the
potential execution level of the application may be "unavailable,"
"low," "non-functional," or otherwise indicated as such using a
value of a projected functionality scale (e.g., a 1 on a scale of
1-10), or the like to indicate that the application cannot be
launched or executed with the current processor utilization, or may
be executed but will be extremely slow or sluggish.
[0067] Based on the above example, the indicator module 206 may
present a visual indication to the user that the application may
not execute at full functionality if launched so that the user can
make a decision whether to execute the application or not instead
of executing the application only to find out that the application
does not operate effectively due to the low processing capacity of
the device 102.
[0068] In one embodiment, the visual indication of the potential
execution level of an application includes hiding a graphical icon
for launching the application in response to the potential
execution level satisfying a low-functionality threshold. The
low-functionality threshold, in one embodiment, may be a threshold
where the application is substantially unusable, or one or more
features of the application are substantially unusable, based on
the resource utilizations of the device 102. The low-functionality
threshold, for example, may be a value of 3 on a functionality
scale of 1-10 such that a potential execution level of 3 or less
will satisfy the threshold. The low-functionality threshold may be
qualitative value such as anything below an "available" potential
execution level.
[0069] For example, if a multiplayer application is installed on a
device 102, but the network is unavailable or the device 102 is
connected to a low bandwidth network, the potential execution level
of the application may indicate that the projected functionality of
the application is extremely limited due to the lack of network
connectivity, and therefore satisfies the low-functionality
threshold. Accordingly, the indicator module 206 may hide an icon
representing the application from an interface of the device 102 by
removing the icon from the display or by overlaying a graphic
(e.g., a solid red box) over the icon.
[0070] In a further embodiment, the indicator module 206 is
configured to present a graphical icon representing the
application, but make the graphical icon not selectable by the user
in response to the potential execution level satisfying a
low-functionality threshold. For example, the indicator module 206
may "gray out" an icon representing the application such that the
user can see that the application is available on the device 102,
but that the application is currently unavailable and not
selectable.
[0071] In one embodiment, the indicator module 206 is configured to
set a color, line weight, style, or the like of a border of a
graphical icon representing the application based on the potential
execution level of the application. For example, if the potential
execution level indicates that the application is
functional/available to execute, the indicator module 206 may draw
a green border around the icon representing the application.
Otherwise, if the potential execution level indicates that the
application is not functional/available, then the indicator module
206 may draw a red border around the icon representing the
application.
[0072] In some embodiments, the indicator module 206 is configured
to set a transparency level of a graphical icon representing the
application based on the potential execution level of the
application. For example, if the potential execution level for an
application is 10 out 10, then the indicator module 206 would set
the transparency level of an icon to 0 to indicate that the
application is available at full projected functionality. Whereas,
if the potential execution level of the application is a 5 out of
10, the indicator module 206 may set the transparency of the
application at 50%, and so on.
[0073] In a further embodiment, the indicator module 206 is
configured to present a tooltip associated with a graphical icon
representing the application that includes information describing
the potential execution level of the application. For example, the
tooltip may show the potential execution level (e.g., 6 out of 10,
3 stars, or the like), and also any additional details regarding
the application and/or the device resources that affect the
application such as network availability information (e.g., whether
the network is available or not, the network bandwidth, etc.), the
processor utilization status, the battery life status, or the
like.
[0074] In one embodiment, the indicator module 206 selects a
plurality of visual indicators for the application, where each
visual indicator corresponds to a level of availability of each of
the device resources used by the application. In such an
embodiment, the indicator module 206 presents each of the visual
indicators simultaneously on the display. The indicator module 206
may overlay a scale using bars, dots, lines, stars, or the like,
and the potential execution level's value on the scale that
indicates an availability of each resource the application uses.
For example, the indicator module 206 may overlay, or present
adjacent to, an icon a line for each resource where a green line
indicates the application can use the resource, and a red line
indicating the application's projected functionality is limited by
the resource.
[0075] For instance, the indicator module 206 may display lines
corresponding to an overall potential execution level of the
application, a battery life, a CPU utilization, and a network
utilization over an icon representing a social media application.
In this example, a red line for the network utilization would
indicate that there are problems with the application's access to a
network, and therefore the application's functionality will be
limited. If the application can function with the current CPU and
battery states, the lines representing these resources may be
green, and the line representing the overall potential execution
level of the application may be 2/3 green and 1/3 red to indicate
that the application is mostly functional except for connecting to
the network.
[0076] In some embodiments, the application module 202 assigns
weights to each resource that an application uses based on how much
the application relies on the resource. In such an embodiment, the
application module 202 may determine which resources an application
uses or is dependent on the most and may assign a higher weighting
to these resources. For example, if an application is a graphically
intense multiplayer game, the application module 202 may assign
higher weights to the battery, network, processor, and graphical
card resources of the device 102. The application module 202 may
determine which resources the application uses, and the how much of
the resources the application uses, according to a current
execution of the application, an execution history for the
application, a manifest file, or the like as described above.
[0077] Continuing with the previous example, because the
application is a social media application, it's functionality may
be highly dependent on connecting to a social media network over a
network. Accordingly, if there is an issue with the application
being able to connect to the network, the indicator module 206 may
display the line representing the overall potential execution level
of the application as 9/10 red and 1/10 green to indicate that the
application's projected functionality is heavily hindered by the
lack of network connectivity, but other functions of the
application may be available.
[0078] In some embodiments, the indicator module 206 arranges a
plurality of graphical icons representing applications according to
the potential execution level of each application. For example, if
the execution module 302 assigns each application a potential
execution level between 1 and 10, the indicator module 206 may
reassign the applications on the display in descending order of
potential execution level such that the most functional
applications are more visible/accessible than other applications.
Similarly, the indicator module 206 may group applications into
groups based on the potential execution levels of the applications.
For example, the indicator module 206 may group "available"
applications together, "partially available" application together,
and "unavailable" applications together. The indicator module 206,
in certain embodiments, orders a list of applications displayed on
the device 102 in ascending order of potential execution level.
[0079] FIG. 3 depicts one embodiment of an apparatus 300 for
indicating an application status based on a device state. The
apparatus 300, in one embodiment, includes an instance of an
application status apparatus 104. The application status apparatus
104, in some embodiments, includes one or more of an application
module 202, a device module 204, and an indicator module 206, which
may be substantially similar to the application module 202, the
device module 204, and the indicator module 206, described above
with reference to FIG. 2. The application status apparatus 104, in
a further embodiment, includes one or more of an execution module
302 and an update module 304, which are described in more detail
below.
[0080] The indicator module 206, in one embodiment, includes an
execution module 302 that determines a potential execution level of
an application by comparing one or more application execution
metrics for device resources that an application uses to one or
more performance metrics for device resources on the device 102. As
discussed above, the potential execution level of an application
describes a projected level of functionality of the application on
a device 102, or a level of impact/hindrance/limitation for an
application based on the current resource utilization of a device
102. The potential execution level may describe an overall
projected level of functionality of an application, and/or a
projected level of functionality for various features of the
application. The execution module 302, in certain embodiments,
determines the potential execution level of an application prior to
a user executing the application.
[0081] For example, the execution module 302 may compare a
processor utilization rate of an application (as determined by the
application module 202) to the current performance state of a
device's processor (as determined by the device module 204) to
determine whether the application can function given the current
processor utilization. For instance, if the processor utilization
rate for an application is 40%, but the device's processor is
currently being utilized at 70%, then the processor state would
limit whether the application can function on the device 102 and
affect the potential execution level of the device 102.
[0082] In one embodiment, to determine the potential execution
level of the application, the execution module 302 weighs each of
the resources that the application uses equally. For example, if an
application uses the processor, the network card, memory, storage,
and the graphics card, the execution module 302 may weight each
resource at 20% such that if the application execution metrics for
one of the resources does not comply with the performance metric of
a corresponding device resource, the execution module 302 may set
the potential execution level for the application at 80%.
[0083] In some embodiments, the execution module 302 assigns
different weights to each of the resources that the application
uses based on the application execution metrics of the resources,
as determined by the application module 202. For example, if an
application utilizes the processor and network card more than the
graphics card, memory, storage, or the like, then the processor and
the network card may be assigned higher weights. Thus, if an
application uses the network card and processor 50% more than
memory, storage, and a graphics card, the execution module 302 may
weigh each of the network card and processor 50% more than the
other resources.
[0084] In some embodiments, the execution module 302 determines a
potential execution level for an application on a per resource
basis. For example, the execution module 302 may determine that the
application has low projected functionality with regards to the
network card, but high projected functionality with regards to the
battery. In a similar example, the execution module 302 may set a
potential execution level with regards to processor a rating of 7
out of 10 in response to the application execution metric for the
processor being 10% greater than the current performance metric for
the processor; however, if the application execution metric for the
processor is 25% greater than the current performance metric for
the processor, the execution module 302 may set the potential
execution level to a 4 out of 10 to reflect the difference between
the application's utilization of the processor and the current
utilization of the processor on the device 102.
[0085] As described above, the execution module 302 may determine
an overall potential execution level for the application based on
the potential execution levels associated with each resource, e.g.,
the overall execution level may be an average of the potential
execution levels for each resource. Furthermore, the indicator
module 206 may provide a plurality of visual indicators for
multiple resources that an application uses based on the potential
execution levels of the resources so that a user can visually
determine which of the resources may be a hindrance to the
projected functionality of the application.
[0086] The potential execution level, in one embodiment, may be a
rating, factor, value, flag, tag, or the like that describes the
potential execution level of an application according to a
predefined scale. For example, the execution module 302 may set a
potential execution level as a value on a scale of 1-10, where 1
describes a low projected functionality of the application and 10
is full projected functionality of the application. Other values
may be a number of stars (e.g., 4 out of 5 starts), a number of
bars (e.g., 3 of 5 bars), a rating, or the like. In some
embodiments, the potential execution level is represented by a tag
such as available, functional, partially available, partially
functional, unavailable, non-functional, or the like. Similarly, an
application's projected functionality may be described as low,
medium, high, or the like.
[0087] The update module 304, in one embodiment, is configured to
periodically determine whether the potential execution level of an
application has changed. For example, the update module 304 may
check every minute, ten minutes, half hour, hour, or the like, to
determine whether the potential execution level of an application
has changed. In one embodiment, the update module 304 checks a
previously determined potential execution level (e.g., the most
recent potential execution level) for the application and compares
it to a newly determined potential execution level.
[0088] In one embodiment, the update module 304 determines one or
more new performance metrics for each of the one or more device
resources of the device 102. In certain embodiments, the update
module 304 uses, notifies, requests, triggers, or the like the
device module 204 to determine the one or more new performance
metrics. In a further embodiment, the update module 304 determines
one or more new application execution metrics for each of the
device resources used by the application. In some embodiments, the
update module 304 uses, notifies, requests, triggers, or the like
the application module 202 to determine the one or more new
application execution metrics.
[0089] The update module 304, in one embodiment, compares the new
performance metrics with the new application execution metrics to
determine a new potential execution level for the application. In
some embodiments, the update module 304 uses, notifies, requests,
triggers, or the like the execution module 302 to determine the new
potential execution level for the application. If the potential
execution level is different, in some embodiments, the update
module 304 may update the potential execution level and the
indicator module 206 may then update the currently presented visual
indicator to reflect the new potential execution level of the
application.
[0090] For example, if the indicator module 206 displays the
application's icon as available and then if the new potential
execution level is less than the current potential execution level,
the indicator module 206 may hide the application's icon, increase
the icon's transparency, change a color of the icon's border,
update a tooltip associated with the icon with the potential
execution level information, inactivate the icon so that the user
cannot select the icon, and/or the like.
[0091] FIG. 4 depicts one embodiment of a device 400 for indicating
an application status based on a device state. In one embodiment,
the device 400 includes an embodiment of a smart phone 402, a
tablet computer, a laptop computer, or the like. The smart phone
402 may include a touch display 403 that includes a plurality of
graphical icons 404 that represent applications executable on the
smart phone 402.
[0092] In one embodiment, for each application, and prior to an
application being executed, the application module 202 determines
one or more resources of the smart phone 402 that the application
uses to while executing on the smart phone 402. The device module
204, in a further embodiment, determines a performance state of
each of the device resources. The execution module 302 determines
an execution state for each application, and the indicator module
206 provides a visual indication of the potential execution level
for each application.
[0093] For example, the indicator module 206 may present one or
more bars 406 on the icons 404 to indicate the potential execution
level of the application represented by the icon. If the potential
execution level of the application is high, full, or the like, then
all of the bars may be bolded, colored, or the like on the
application's icon 404a to indicate that the application is at full
potential execution level, meaning that the current performance
state of the device resources is not a hindrance to the
functionality of the application.
[0094] If the potential execution level is less than a
predetermined low-functionality threshold, then the indicator
module 206 may present a visual indication to illustrate the lower
potential execution level of the application. For instance, the
indicator module 206 may change the color or line weight of the
border of an icon 404b, 404c, 404d representing the application. In
another example, the indicator module 206 may overlay a graphic on
the icon 404b to indicate that the application is not currently
functional due to the performance state of the smart phone's 402
devices.
[0095] In another example, the indicator module 206 may adjust a
transparency of an icon 404d based on the potential execution level
of the application and/or make the icon 404d appear inactive so
that the icon 404d is not selectable. The lower the potential
execution level, for example, the more transparent the icon may
become. In a further example, the indicator module 206 may provide
a tooltip 408 for an icon that provides information regarding the
potential execution level of the application represented by the
icon. In this manner, the application status apparatus 104 provides
visual feedback to a user regarding the projected functionality of
an application without requiring the user to load or execute the
application just to find out that the application will not function
correctly.
[0096] FIG. 5 depicts a schematic flow chart diagram illustrating
one embodiment of a method 500 for indicating an application status
based on a device state. In one embodiment, the method 500 begins
and determines 502 device resources that an application uses while
executing on a device 102. In a further embodiment, the method 500
determines 504 a performance state of each of the device resources
of the device 102. In some embodiments, the method 500 provides 506
a visual indication of a potential execution level of the
application on a display of the device 102, and the method 500
ends. In certain embodiments, the application module 202, the
device module 204, and the indicator module 206 perform the steps
of the method 500.
[0097] FIG. 6 depicts a schematic flow chart diagram illustrating
one embodiment of another method 600 for indicating an application
status based on a device state. In one embodiment, the method 600
begins and determines 602 device resources that an application uses
while executing on a device 102. In certain embodiments, the method
600 determines 604 application execution metrics associated with
each device resource that the application uses while executing,
such as a battery consumption, a processor utilization rate, and/or
the like.
[0098] In one embodiment, the method 600 determines 606 performance
metrics for each resource currently being used on the device 102,
such as a remaining battery life, a current processor utilization,
and/or the like. In certain embodiments, the method 600 determines
608 a potential execution level of the application based on a
comparison of the application execution metrics and the performance
metrics to determine a projected functionality of the application
given the current state of the device resources.
[0099] In a further embodiment, the method 600 provides 610 a
visual indication of the potential execution level of the
application on a display of the device 102 such as hiding an icon,
changing a transparency of an icon, displaying a graphic over the
icon, displaying a tooltip, or the like that indicates the
potential execution level of the application. The method 600, in
some embodiments, periodically updates 612 the visual indicator by
determining whether the potential execution level of the
application has changed by determining 604 new application
execution metrics, determining 606 new performance metrics, and so
on. In certain embodiments, the application module 202, the device
module 204, the indicator module 206, the execution module 302, and
the update module 304 perform the steps of the method 600.
[0100] Embodiments may be practiced in other specific forms. The
described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as
illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is,
therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the
foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning
and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within
their scope.
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